David Legge writes on Rugby Heaven a change of strip colour brought a change of fortune for Super Rugby defending champions the Bulls on Saturday as they scored 40 unanswered points en route to a 43-27 triumph over the Chiefs.

The South Africans wore the red of their mobile phone sponsors rather than the traditional blue as they bounced back to earn a bonus-point victory after three consecutive losses in Australasia.

“Red works but we will be back to blue for our next match,” said Bulls lock and captain Victor Matfield after his team kept alive a slim chance of a top-six finish and a play-offs place.

“This was a make-or-break game for us. We were under pressure after those losses on tour had disappointed our supporters. It was great to see our forwards driving as of old and backs like Wynand Olivier scoring tries again.”

Iconic Springbok Matfield warned before the kick-off in perfect autumn conditions that a sixth loss in 10 matches would end any hopes the three-time champions had of retaining the southern hemisphere championship.

His warning was not heeded in the early stages at Loftus Versfeld as missed tackles and handling errors contributed to the Bulls falling 20-3 behind against the New Zealanders eight minutes before half-time.

But the Chiefs slipped in the closing minutes of the half, allowing Olivier to score his first try of the season and a conversion and penalty from fly-half Morne Steyn cut the gap to seven points at half-time.

A half-full stadium witnessed the Bulls of old from the second half kick-off as they dominated possession and centre Olivier, wing Gerhard van den Heever and number eight Pierre Spies crossed for tries in an eight-minute blitz.

Springbok Steyn was back to his goal kicking best, planting conversions and penalty kicks between the posts from various angles and distances and succeeding with all eight shots at goal.

Number eight Fritz Lee scored a third try for the Chiefs to end a 39-minute point-less spell for the shattered visitors, but they could not get another one that would have secured a bonus point.

Steyn converted the tries of Olivier (two), Van den Heever and Spies, kicked four penalties and slotted the drop goal that gave the Bulls an early lead before Chiefs took control for most of the first half.

All Blacks fullback Mils Muliaina, scrum-half Brendon Leonard and Lee scored tries that Stephen Donald converted and the fly-half also succeeded with two penalty attempts for a 100 percent goal-kicking record.